ISTE 2017 Coverage
zSpace Expands CTE Offerings with Auto Training Program
zSpace, a Silicon Valley-based mixed reality education company, unveiled at ISTE new additions to its career and technology education (CTE) applications. The interactive GTA Virtual Automotive Training courses come from Shenzhen GTA Education Tech Ltd., a smart education solutions company from China.
The GTA Virtual Automotive Training program uses zSpace’s mixed reality environment to “give students hands-on experience with all the essentials of auto mechanics as they explore and repair engines, the clutch, transmissions, the powertrain system, wheels and axels, suspensions and steering and brake systems,” according to a news release issued during the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) conference in San Antonio, TX.
Users will be able to examine the above mechanical systems from virtually all angles, learning how they work and practicing repair work in mixed reality.
Compared to traditional auto training education, the GTA Automotive VR Training system displays auto structures in vivid 3D from multiple angles and stimulates students’ senses by using their eyes, ears and hands in virtual training, according to the news release.
Mixed reality allows students to avoid risks involved in traditional training; it also requires no material consumption or the space required for actual automobiles. Students may also practice the same tasks over and over again.
“The new GTA Virtual Automotive Training applications take the ‘auto shop’ class of years ago to a whole new level. Traditional textbooks and courseware are two-dimensional and hands-on training with actual cars is irreversible and expensive,” said Paul Kellenberger, zSpace president and CEO, in a statement. “With these applications, students practice repairs and techniques repeatedly, building strong skills, and schools save money and space, and better prepare students for the work force.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, many of the fastest growing jobs through 2022 will be in CTE fields.
GTA Virtual Automotive Training and all of zSpace’s mixed reality applications for learning were included on the company’s “Virtual Reality Tour Bus,” booth 3519, during ISTE this week in San Antonio. To learn more about the company and its offerings, visit the zSpace website.
About the Author
Richard Chang is associate editor of THE Journal. He can be reached at [email protected].